• John Montague

    A raser ! Sans intérêt Temps mort

    This is up there for worst wooden coaster ever. It’s closed a lot. The queue always moves painfully slow, because the ride operators always seem to take literally 5 minutes preparing each train. There is no air time, and there are no ejectors. It isn’t very fast. It isn’t very tall. When you’re done, you get to wait another 3-5 minutes, while the operators prep the train in front of you. I will say it is a good intro coaster for 48” kids, but other than that, grizzly has nothing going for it. This coaster is just all-around bad, but I will continue riding it, because my 7 year old likes it.

  • John Montague

    Confort Harnais Ejectors Trop court Théma Débit

    Rode it twice. Amazing in the front with your hands up. Sitting in seat 6 with my hands secure was kind of underwhelming. It’s a good, intense ride with some nice inversions. The coaster itself is short, exhilarating, and sweet.

  • John Montague

    Débit Vitesse Intensité

    After the re-track, this ride is still extremely intense, but it’s definitely a little less uncomfortable. For me, riding Gold Striker at night is up there for best ever night ride on a coaster. It’s just so relentless in the dark. 5 stars. With the news that Great America is closing, I’m more emotionally attached to it, because I know it’s temporary. That probably helps it’s ranking too. Ride it while you can, ride after dark when you can, and the back is the best!

  • John Montague

    Débit Sans intérêt Temps mort

    This is a really tame coaster. It’s basically a kiddie coaster with just a little more oomph. If you’re going to ride it, get in the very back row. The train is very long, and you do get whipped around a little in the very back. Cobra is a decent option, if you’re riding with kids. If you aren’t with children, prepare to be underwhelmed. I’m not saying it looks any better than it is, but what you see is what you get.

  • John Montague

    Hangtime Trop court

    For me, this coaster is really really good for one moment, and that’s at the apex of the giant loop, as you wish you’d taken everything out of your pockets. Everything else is fun, but kind of feels like filler compared to that loop out of the gate. The launch is decent, but doesn’t compare to coasters like Maverick. The tunnel is fun, but nothing too crazy. It’s all about the loop. Solid coaster.

  • John Montague

    Théma Layout Baffes Inconfort

    6th row: Even with my head back, it still got rattled. 2nd row: I enjoyed the theme and the tunnels, and that second loop is seriously one of the most intense I’ve ever experienced. It probably would have been a headbanger, but I kept my head back and upright, and it really was pretty good. Takeaway: 2nd row pretty good. 6th row real bad.

  • John Montague

    Intensité Temps mort

    Apocalypse has decent pace to it and just the right level of rattle for a wooden. Overall, it’s kind of lacking in the airtime/ejector department. Middle of the road. Not bad. Not great.

  • John Montague

    Fun Trop court

    It’s a fun little coaster that manufactures some half-hearted “whoa’s”. That first set of turns was the highlight for me. It’s a relatively mild, wacky good time.

  • John Montague

    First Drop Intensité Fluidité

    Smooth, relentlessly fast from start to finish, a great first hill with spectacular views, good aesthetics. One of the few coasters I know of that gives me “sea legs” during the walk out of the station. My number 2 coaster overall! It really is a perfect coaster and a glorious centerpiece in the greatest amusement park in the world.

  • John Montague

    Sans intérêt

    Not much going on here, other than decent aesthetics. I think the only point here is that it’s an appropriate starter coaster for little kids.

  • John Montague

    Inversions Confort Fluidité

    This is a world class floorless coaster. The more I ride it, the more I like it. The aesthetics of Medusa are lacking. It’s basically just running over a slab of concrete. Plant some trees or build a moat or something.

  • John Montague

    First Drop Layout Ejectors Lap Bar

    This is my only kiddie coaster with more than 1/2 star. It’s my favorite kiddie coaster, because grown ups do not fit on this ride, but they still let grown ups ride. It has a nice little first hill, some scenery, and even an ejector near the end of the ride. If you want to ride a roller coaster, where your legs literally extend out beyond the sides of the car, then this is your ride!

  • John Montague

    Baffes Inconfort A raser !

    This ride will end your day, if you’re not careful. Utterly painful. This wins the prize for most headbanging I’ve ever experienced on a coaster. Sometimes, I like it when a coaster absolutely kicks my butt, but this one is all wrong in every way. Torture.

  • John Montague

    Baffes Déception ! Temps mort

    I have fond childhood memories of salivating over this coaster while watching National Lampoon’s Vacation. If this coaster wasn’t featured in a classic movie or wasn’t the first steel looping coaster, it would be gone by now. It was kind of fun when I rode it 20+ years ago, but it’s lost its smoothness, and there just isn’t much going for this coaster anymore. It takes up a ton of space in the park, and since it goes upside down, it isn’t really a good starter coaster for the younger kids, which is often how the crappier coasters survive this long. The best way Magic Mountain could upgrade their park would be to tear this down. There’s plenty of room here for another top 100 coaster.

  • John Montague

    Launch

    It’s fine. My review is probably a little biased, because there was a long delay in the station right before I rode it, and nobody likes getting on a coaster feeling frustrated and impatient. I could see my rating improving after a better experience in the queue. As a launch coaster, it’s middle of the road, nowhere close to Maverick. Maybe it was just my seat location, but that last launch practically threw my back out. It would be better if it was a little faster overall and a little smoother at the end there. It lacked the intensity I was hoping for. Dueling trains always make for a fun sideshow, and this is no exception. Gemini is a better duel, though.

  • John Montague

    Inversions Layout Hangtime Trop court

    Solid coaster, highlighted by watching the train speed through the station while you wait, that slow inversion up top, and that vertical drop. Great ride. It’s pretty short, but it exceeded my expectations.

  • John Montague

    Layout

    The chain lift hill back to the station is one of the worst moments in roller coaster design history. A chain lift hill should always lead to more fun, not the end of the ride. Otherwise, it’s a fun ride, and my kids love it. The water splash is the highlight, if you can get it. I prefer the layout and aesthetic of Iron Dragon at Cedar Point. 2 stars for ninja.

  • John Montague

    Situation Fun

    This is a fun little ride in a great location. I thought it was slightly more thrilling than Fairly Odd Coaster. The spinning element makes for a good time, but overall, it’s a pretty tame experience.

  • John Montague

    Chef d'oeuvre Layout Longueur

    I love that they converted the old colossus, so you get both tracks on every ride, and each track is unique. That’s a genius move. I prefer the blue track to the green, but heard others during my 3 different rides who preferred the green. This ride has a little bit of everything…. A great first drop (twice), good airtime, crazy inversions, smoothness, comfort, and fun from start to finish. They even get a little silly on the approach to the first chain lift. I’m putting this 3rd on my tops, only behind X-2 and Millennium Force. These hybrid wooden coasters are the best thing to happen in roller coasters, since inverted steel and dangling feet in the 90s. Joker at Discovery Kingdom is another really fun wooden hybrid coaster, but I thought this was significantly better.

  • John Montague

    Situation Fun Intensité

    Classic wooden coaster. The location is about as good as any coaster on the planet. The ride is a little rough, but not too rough. My favorite part is that tunnel at the beginning. It does provide some decent airtime, but it’s scoring most of my points for history and location. I’d happily ride this one over and over. 3.5 stars.

  • John Montague

    Launch Vitesse Intensité Trop court

    Enjoyed this with my 9 year old daughter, her first ride on a 100mph coaster. Not quite as good as Top Thrill Dragster or Kingda Ka, but is it really that far behind them? It’s an intense and fast good time. When you’re next in line, and the doors are closed, you can’t even hear the coaster. It is one of the loudest coasters on the planet. Out in the park, when you’re out and about, you can hear it from just about everywhere, and if you get too close to it, cover your ears. That waiting station must be damn near soundproof!

  • John Montague

    First Drop Intensité Vibrations

    This is decent for a hyper coaster, and I’ve never ridden a hyper coaster that was anywhere near bad. The first drop is serious, and the helix is the 2nd best I’ve encountered behind Raptor. It’s lacking good airtime, but thumbs up for intensity. Overall, I’d say it’s lacking the smoothness one expects from a hyper, but I do like it for what it is. Goliath is no doubt rough, and it’s not for the faint of heart.

  • John Montague

    First Drop Bonne suprise ! Intensité

    I honestly haven’t experienced fear on a roller coaster in decades. I can ride the tallest and fastest coasters with only fun in mind. I really thought I’d aged out of being afraid on a roller coaster. I wasn’t afraid on X-2 either, until the first drop, and then it was sheer terror for the rest of the ride, and I loved every second of it. It is by far the most intense coaster I’ve ever ridden. I also love the location in the park. X-2 mostly hides out at Magic Mountain, and I really couldn’t see much of it until I was riding it. This is my new favorite coaster, mostly because it managed to genuinely scare me, something a coaster hasn’t done to me in a loooooong time.

  • John Montague

    Inversions Vitesse Intensité

    This is a near perfect little hybrid coaster. First time riders might get lulled into that short first hill, but don’t be fooled. You start with a quick, steep drop, and it really doesn’t let up much from start to finish. It’s smooth and one of the most comfortable coasters I’ve ever ridden, but it still maintains a good level of intensity. There’s also a solid helping of ejectors throughout the ride. Aside from the very front, the middle of the train is surprisingly where you get the best ride. I can’t think of another coaster that delivers this much in the middle. The very front car is amazing, because they don’t put anything in front of you to hold onto, and you are more engaged with the track than most coasters. Overall, good enough for 5 stars and my number 7 coaster overall.

  • John Montague

    Bonne suprise ! Harnais Intensité Trop court

    I am a big fan of 4D coasters. I like how disorienting and unpredictable they are. I rode this one 3 times in 3 different seats, and every ride was completely different. 2nd ride was at times jarring and unpleasant, 1st and 3rd rides were outstanding. I think this is basically 8 different coasters, depending on where you're sitting, or maybe it’s a weight thing, and every ride is a little different. I’m not sure, but I love the variety. Getting such a different ride each time is a major selling point for me. My expectations were kind of low, because these coasters aren’t ranked very high. If you’re looking for something extreme, I’m not sure you can go wrong with 4D. My best guess is these 4D rides are love/hate, so the rankings even out in the middle. Or maybe it’s that there are too many carbon copies of this coaster. I don’t know, but it’s still a great ride. Put me in the love camp.